


Mechanism & Harmony (Clean)

by LepusLied



Series: The Streets [2]
Category: Furry (Fandom)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multiple Relationships, Original Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-07 20:43:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12240318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LepusLied/pseuds/LepusLied
Summary: Lepus Lied, a normal Highschool student, leaves his home town and travels the country with different groups, making friendships and relationships along the way.





	1. Prelude

The rhythmic tap of metal and the soft noise of the radio filled the concrete room. The scent of motor oil and jumbled gas fumes filled the air, forming a thick and rough atmosphere. It could easily be cut with a knife. The man under the car spoke in a gruff tone, his teal eyes fixated on the oil leak that had ended up damaging the car's performance.

"Aye, Bunny boy. Mind throwing a pipe wrench my way? I need to replace this whole piece."

The voice made the black rabbit jump some. It was always so demanding, yet so nice to listen to.

"Yeah. On it, Mike."

He moved to the tool box, ripping the wrench out and sliding it under the car to the man underneath. His name was Michael Rorgan. A Harlequin duck, 48 years old, and with a wife and 6 children. The man was so strictly devoted to his family, it almost made the rabbit fall for him. This was just another day in the life of Lepus.


	2. We Gotta Start Somewhere

_I am Lepus "Lied". I am currently 17, working apprenticeship at a car workshop under this HUNK, Mike. He is astounding, I swear. I am only held back by the fact he is as straight as a piece of copy paper. I can't expect him to leave his kids for some youngin like me anyway, I am a bit too demanding at times. I would make life a hassle._

_The thing is, this is where my story started. That guy, the damn hat, and his shitty attitude was my pass to where I am now._

_Let's put this into action, shall we?_

* * *

**20:38 Monday, September 21st 2015**

"Mike... can I ask you somethin?"

He looked at Lepus with a smile as he wiped off the sweat from his brow. "Yeah kid? Whats up?"

Lepus looked down some, and the words fell out of his mouth like a hole in a water tank. "Have you ever been curious what it is like with a guy?"

Mike looked back at him in a slight shock, but then he had a look of deep thought on his face. "Once or twice it has crossed my mind. But I missed my phase to experiment, and I am fine with that personally. Why?" He gave a quizzical, but expecting look to the rabbit.

Lepus blushed at the look he was given. "I am going through that phase now I guess...." he averted his eyes to the blackened ground.

"Anybody in particular? I may know a few guys from the bar who are actual gays, they can talk to you about it all. That is, if you are really unsure about it." Mike cut in without hesitation. He gave a reassuring smile to him and wiped his hands off too.

Lepus stiffened. He wasn't going through a phase, he knew what he was doing. But it was a good excuse for the moment, but now he wanted him to talk to his buddies? This isn't where he was headed with the conversation at all. He was curious in the man, not his friends. "No... I think I have some idea..." He scratched his arm.

Mike chuckled. "So. You know if you're a top or bottom already?" An eyebrow raising in curiosity. "Cause if you're a top, you may have some redemption as a straight man. If you are a bottom, you may just be a homo."

Lepus opened his mouth to respond, but closed it. He turned and walked to the door, stopping before exiting. "Well... I could go either way... but you mentioned it crossed your mind. What did you think you were?"

Mike stood still for a moment, his eyes stuck to the rabbit's back. He breathed deeply and let out his answer in a sigh. "I thought I was a bottom. But what does th-"

"You want to test that?" Lepus broke into his sentence.

The room was silent for a moment as the tension between the two was solid now. If it weren't colorless, it would be blood red.

Mike walked forward, his eyes never touching the rabbit as he pushed the wet rag into his hands. "My day off is tomorrow. Meet me at the Corters Motel on Harvey. Nine." He spoke coldly as he went to his truck, quickly peeling out of the parking lot and down the street.


	3. And Reality Cracked

**6:45 Thursday, November 19th 2015**

Lepus woke up, his head spinning as he let his head tilt from side to side. He instantly remembered where he was, the man snoring soundly next to him. He grinned and gently licked the back of his neck, a faint mumble sounding from the sleeping body. Lepus slipped out of the bed. This was the tenth time they had come out to see each other this month. The two of them had gone on for their affair of sorts for the last two months, their cycle going even better. Every Tuesday and Thursday was Mike's day off, and they met a bit after school hours. Mike used the excuse of the bar more often, yet never spent any time with the guys who so often got wasted to his stories. Now he was intoxicated by his time in this motel with the kid from the shop, and he felt so natural, and so much happier with his life since.

Lepus strode into the kitchen, which was filled with food at this point. It was in constant use, and they often ate together. But today was off, there was a faint conversation outside, then the gentle push of a door. Within 5 minutes the conversation got closer, until the sound of a knock wrapped on their door. Lepus was holding onto a butter knife, several buttered pancakes set upon the center piece plate. He moved to the door, the only thing clothing him being a loose fitting pair of boxers and the small bracelet and pendant around his ankle, a silver wing. He crept open the door to find a man, grey and white trimmed suit, matching grey fedora, and a pile of papers. His teeth were pointed, and it only took a moment to see he was a hyena. A salesman? Before the thought to close the door entered his mind, the man was already talking.

"Hello sir. Do you know the whereabouts of this man?" He held up a picture of a yellow and white stripped Tabby. It seemed he was about Lepus' age, and he had pure blue-green eyes.

"Uhh... Is he from the university around here?" Lepus spoke slightly unsure, as the kid looked familiar.

"Yes. You know him?" The hyena spoke with a quizzical look, his eyebrow raised up.

"Yes and no. I have seen him around campus, but I haven't exactly been in any relation to the kid. From what I know, he was some kind of dealer." He relayed the gossip he heard.

"He is missing. Could I ask you some quest-"

"Who is out there hun?" The rough, still groggy voice sounded behind Lepus, causing the man at the door to hold his tongue and go stiff.

"Some guy looking for a kid." He called back, looking at the man. "What were you asking? You wanted to come in?" He smiled, tilting his head to the side.

"Mechanic Michael. Where the hell have you been, you son of a bitch?" The hyena called, half playfully and half confused.

The room went silent, and the expression on Lepus' face turned to stone cold realization. This man knew Mike. Why? How? What the hell was this?

The door was pushed slightly from behind Lepus, which caused him to jump. Mike was standing next to him, his eyes wide and his fist clenched. He took a deep breath and pushed Lepus aside. "Hey Fizgerald. Long time no see..." He spoke almost too casually. It was obvious from a second ago that he was tense.

"I mean, shit. When I first saw this kid, I expected you to have given up the old affair room. But when did you start going after Uni kids? 'Specially the twinks?" The man spoke jokingly, punching Mike in the shoulder softly. This was a normal room for Mike to cheat on his wife.

Mike grinned and moved his arm to Lepus' neck. "Kid can't get enough of me. He isn't very shameful bout it either." He nudges him softly with his foot. Around his ankle was a matching Silver rabbits foot.

This was his way of saying he was dominant in the relationship. Lepus stayed silent for a moment, his eyes trailing from the Hyena to Mike, then back. "Yeah, how could I not. I don't know why he is married in the first place, he would be better getting cash from doing this." He moved to Michael's head, softly kissing his cheek. His eyes moved to Fizgerald, and he turned. "I will be at the table. Come and eat when you are done with your friend, babe." He walked to the table. His eyes burning daggers into Mike's neck.

'You can fucking bet he doesn't deserve a marriage.'


	4. A New Adventure

**17:30 Monday, January 25th 2016**

The stench of filth and smoke filled the brick maze of alley ways that led to and from the inner city. Discarded garbage and cigarette butts stuck in puddles of dirt water and soggy cardboard. Lepus moved briskly down the cement path, his hood up over his head as he had his hands dug in his pockets. His ears were occupied with music blaring headphones, as he found it drowned out the crying of children, the honking of car horns, and the sounds of his own breathing. It felt peaceful for music to take over even his heartbeat. His feet led him to the center building. A structure made for the specific of storage, as it laid abandoned as open property between 4 quite tall office buildings. It was a place common for squatters to sleep at night, drug deals, or smoke breaks. This was the meeting place for Lepus tonight.

As he found the entrance, he saw what he came there for. A motorcycle. Fully repaired and looking functional. Next to it sat two men, a grey wolf, and a Polar bear. Their eyes were fixed on Lepus as he approached them, and the wolf of the two spoke first.

"So, you got the $700?" His eyes were green, but they were still as cold as ice. Their gaze would paralyze men into stone, but Lepus had learned that he was as weak as the rest.

Lepus threw the cash from his pockets. He still had his headphones in, but he needn't to hear to understand the scenario. "Can I go now? I have shit to do."

The Polar bear sneered at his comment. He motioned for Lepus to take his headphones out. He obliged, and the bear began to talk. "You know we aren't just some guys. We can still fuck you up for what you put us through."

Lepus looked at them, his eyes half lidded with boredom. "You could also just let me get the fuck out of this hell hole. I already lost what little I had, so you don't exactly got much to hurt me with. Physically, you couldn't do shit. Emotionally, I am gone. So you're beating a dead horse." he spit on the ground and moved closer. "Now. Bike, and I'm gone."

The wolf looked at him, a slight grin piercing his persona. "Take it. It was a pleasure doing business with you." He pushed the bike forward some, letting it roll steadily towards Lepus, who caught it by the center of the handle bars.

The bear turned his head, his yellow eyes rolled to the side as he turned and pulled up his phone. "Yo. Rabbit. You know Sam?" His voice turning somewhat cynical. "Because we might be able to have someone pay you back more than what you just gave us. This guy wants him dead."

The wolf looked at Lepus with a raised brow. "You remember Sam. He fucked us over too, and I guess this guy we've been on the phone with. So, if you can find him, he can pay you a pretty penny, and us for sending him your way. He gave us a number, and we told him 'bout you. You up for it?"

Lepus grinned, his teeth were no longer as flat as before. He was always an omnivore, but his carnivorous teeth grew in more steadily as he acted less on emotion and more on feral instinct. They were now pointed and just as deadly as any common predator. "Number. I will hit him up."

They passed it over, and he instantly got to texting the phone. Pretty soon he had an address to head to. He waved off the men before quickly heading out to the marked location.

As he got off the bike, his eyes lit up some. He lifted his hood and walked into the bronze coloured building. There he sat. The yellow and white stripped Tabby.

"Hey Sam. Good bait my man." Lepus spoke with a half chuckle as he slid inside and sat down in the booth next to Samual.

Sam was Lepus' friend since he dropped out of the university he was attending. They both ended up finding each other in the same space, a drug house looking for different things. Sam had become heavily involved in the sale and intake of Marijuana. Lepus was looking for employment. It ended up with them working in unison to scam out addicts of various kinds to gather up excessive cash, in term growing a hierarchy with the company they were involved with. After their downfall, half the crew got arrested with some help from an anonymous tip. It seemed like Sam had betrayed them all for his own saved skin, but it also got him in trouble, as the crew put a hit out on him for it. Only Lepus remained, as that was the only name that was not included in the report.

"Good to see you. You got our ride?" He smirked, lifting the cup from the table and sipping casually, the smell of coffee was nice compared to garbage, and Lepus was happy to have it with him.

"Yep. Let's go."


	5. A Bit Of History

**5:02 Saturday, February 6th 2016**

As the road around them turned into flowers from the fading cold, the two continued from the city circuits into the dirt roads of the country. It was nicer out here, and it was the only place Sam had to run other than out of the continent. They simply smiled at the calm breeze running quickly through their hair as they drove along.

They approached a farm, seemingly well kept and still populated. Lepus turned them into the car park, his eyes moving to the front door. They had been hopping place to place for the past two weeks, and this was their next stop. Driving all night into the morning was terrible on their health, and food became scarce the further they went.

Sam made the first move, hopping off the bike and skittering to the front door of the farm house. He knocked on the door with three knuckles and waited. Eventually a slender man, black hair and red eyes. A rat, quite literally, had answered the door. "Hello sir. Me and my friend have been driving for days, would we be able to ask if you have any spare fruits or anything that you could let us have?"

The man looked at Sam, then over his shoulder to Lepus. "I think I can find some Carrots for your friend, you like chicken? I have some left overs, but I can't promise a full meal for the two of you." He smiled and chuckled weakly.

Sam bit his lip and turned his gaze back to Lepus. "Maybe not the best to throw in carrots. He is really... allergic to them. I know, irony. But he does like strawberries, or even cabbage, you got cabbage? We aren't too picky, just... not carrots."

Lepus sighed and got off the bike, throwing the kickstand down. He approached the house behind Sam, his eyes fixated on the farmer, who looked at Lepus' teeth and instantly nodded before running inside the house again. "Oh? I scare him off?"

Sam smirked, patting his shoulder. "He tried to offer you carrots. Don't worry, he knows about your allergy quite well now that you got a bit closer."

The man came back carrying a box, it seemed full of meat. Only meat. His eyes were wide and stuck to Lepus. He backed up some. "If you don't mind leaving now. That would be very nice of you." He quickly shut the door. Leaving the two with their meal.

Same smiled at Lepus and tilted his head. "So, can you explain why these huckberries keep getting terrified of you?" He gently punched Lepus in the arm.

Lepus moved back toward the bike, his eyes trailing to the sun before he opened his mouth to reply. "Rabbits around here are all Herbivores, and they sure as hell don't have sharp teeth. My kind are like rejects, because the only way for a natural rabbit to have teeth like this is through excessive cannibalism."

Sam chuckled and sat on the back of the bike, clutching the box. "Cool, that means we won't have to worry about getting attacked. You're like my guard dog, dawg." He burst out laughing at his own joke.

Lepus shook his head. He couldn't stand the puns, but he still loved Sam for who he was. Regardless of their past, they both were great partners, both working to exist away from their former drama. Now was their time to get away, and live better than ever before.


	6. New Faces And Old Goodbyes

**15:00 Friday, February 26th 2016**

Lepus and Sam sat side by side, their heads rested against the base of a growing tree. They ate the various fruits that they had gathered from the natural growth in the area. Their voices were the only noise audible, and their laughter was the strongest noise among that.

Lepus bit into the side of the apple he was holding, his mouth curled into a smirk. "So you're gonna tell me you got out of the situation the same way it started? I swear you're too sly."

"Cops can't complain when you have your words are forcing them into a corner. It is just common sense." Sam laughed out, his mouth still full of half chewed grapefruit as he spit out small chunks with each breath.

"I swear to god, the amount of times you get caught with your pants down, it never goes bad for you. I want that kind of luck." Lepus rolled his eyes and took another bite.

Sam gave a mischievous look to Lepus, finally swallowing the bits of fruit left in his jaws. "Have you thought of speaking all sweet for once?" His arm moving to nudge Lepus slightly.

"Oh har-fucking-har. You just want an excuse to see me be a kiss ass, you rat bastard." Lepus chuckled, sighing and resting his head off to the side to look at Sam. "I know we agreed to not be stupid about all of this, but come on. We can't live in the outskirts of a town forever. Robbing people of their produce is just messed up man. We have the cash."

Sam held up a hand. "Yeah yeah. Goody no shoes Lep out here, acting like the friggin hero or somethin. I don't need to act like the good guy all the time, okay. We are skipping this town anyways. A bit up ahead is the next official city, and a good one at that. It seems they have a pretty good economy, so maybe the people won't suck complete ass this time." He smiled to Lepus and leaned in, getting their faces closer together.

Lepus looked at him and rolled his eyes, stuffing the half eaten apple into Sam's mouth. "Just take it. I know that is what you were going for you ass hat."

Sam smiled and gladly backed away with the apple between his teeth. "Pleasure doing business with you."

**17:30 Saturday, February 27 2016**

"So I stabbed him in the leg and ran for it!" Sam called out, laughing loudly as he sat at a table of older men, around their 40's. They all followed suit, losing their minds to the story of Sam's adventures in the streets.

Lepus sat at the bar, his hand rested around the rim of an empty shot glass. His eyes were closed as he heard the sound of a bell, then footsteps approaching and stopping beside him. The source sat down directly beside him. Then he heard something peculiar. Scratching? No, scribbling. This person was writing something out. The bartender approached, and spoke softly. "Hello miss, anything I can get you tonight?" He was met with silence, then the sliding of paper across the counter. He hummed and spoke again. "Right on it." Then his footsteps went in the other direction. Did she just write out her order?

Lepus rose his head to look at her, a pristine snow white coat, light blonde hair, thick brimmed, reflective glasses, yet her grey eyes were still visible behind the side of her lenses. She wore a violet turtle neck, and he saw something that made him grunt. She had those bucked teeth. He knew from the instant he saw her teeth that the rest of the image would follow, and sure enough it did. The pointy rabbit ears, only one was bent, and it hung old gauze it seemed. As if it were damaged recently.

The woman turned her hidden gaze to him, their eyes meeting through the glass of her frames, and the gave a soft smile. She then began to write in her journal, her handwriting not the scribbling he expected, but a very quick written, and neat cursive. She was like fancy fonted typewriter. This impressed him greatly, as she slid the book over to him. "Hello there. How are you doing tonight? I bet you're wondering why I'm writing instead of talking, I am mute. So if that bothers you, I greatly apologize."

Lepus looked up at her and waved one hand. "No, its okay. I don't mind. That explains a lot though. So, what brings a lady around this bar... one filled with drunk guys and all?" His tone wasn't at all thrilled, but he was still interested in her response.

Back to scribbling, then she slid it back over, her response was short, but bitter sweet. "Death."

Lepus nodded, tapping his glass on the table. "I hear that. Who? Friend? Family?" His curiosity got the better of him quite fast.

She wrote again as the bartender came back with her drink. She slid it over, and quickly grabbed the drink. Lepus looked down then quickly back to her. "Fiance." His face was saddened. That was when he saw it. She opened her mouth to take the drink, and he saw inside. Her tongue was missing.


	7. Something Very Metaphysical

**7:00, April 3rd 2016**

Sam had to leave the town. His departure was not without its exchange of regretful words, and good wishes. He had found a new adventure in the north, as it seemed he had found someone willing to give him a job in textile, and he was not going to pass up the offer. He was extremely eager, but not without the hopes of gaining Lepus as his partner on this trip. But to no avail, Lepus had his own path to go down, and he was as heartbroken to watch him go. But he had a new partner for the time.

Anne was a sweet woman, though her lack of tongue was of concern, he later learned it was a birth deformity that was irreversible, thus her reasoning for being a mute. This didn't stop her art from gaining the hearts of many, including her eventual lover. He was not the most wealthy, but his passions were the reel to her hook, as his part time job of a comedian and public speaker were something she adored. But some people don't always get the joke, and he was found dead around the time that Lepus and Sam had gone to that bar. Shot in the chest and robbed, his murderer was never discovered, but it wasn't for naught. The company that had been his main form of employment was willing to help Anne pay for the debts she had without him for a while, but not long enough to leave and find something more suitable for work.

Her and Lepus had discussed that night, their plans in life, and it found that she was looking for a place to go. Lepus was alone on his trip, and was happy to take her, as she moved down here for him. Now she was left with nothing but awful memories to match this horrid city.

As they left Sam on his own journey, Anne and Lepus moved along on motorcycle to their next location. The final destination.

Anne was silent usually, and their rides were filled with music for the void that was their lack of conversation. Yet when they broke for meals and gas, their conversations went on for hours, he handwriting was becoming more and more detailed, and she picked up new and more rough vocabulary from Lepus, and his adventures through so many places. His tone had since improved since his early childhood, as he was no longer the shy, yet desperate boy from that University, nor was he the cold hearted drug dealer. He was a wise, and complex being, who constantly loved to learn and explore. Though he felt his days on the road were numbered, because he knew he would need to settle eventually, and find a more modest way of life.

Annette had never met those people, those inexperienced lifestyles, but Mike and Sam had. They had seen the stages in Lepus' life that needed to change, and for good or bad, they did. Now he knew what it was like to see, and he had nothing left on his mind but to share his wisdom with the world. But how?

He wanted to share his experience of life in the only way he could. By leading a community under his wing, and helping them through these times of desperation, to protect these people from the hell he had gone through, and to fight for their lives. Okay, maybe he was being mellow dramatic, but it was the sentiment that counted, and he knew that. He simply enjoyed the idea of doing so much for everyone, and he loved that he could be of any use to anybody with his decisions. The people that he had been before would have never thought of doing for others, only for themselves and those who further their lifespans. But Anne had opened his eyes to one more thing in their adventures.

"Anne... Have you ever thought of ending all of this?" Lepus spoke out at random in the middle of their small lunch break. Annette was eating a radish slice, which was normal, as she liked the more bitter foods best due to her lack of major taste buds. But she stopped and looked at Lepus seriously, then pulled her hand to her note pad.

As she drug her hand across the pages, she lifted her head up to look at Lepus, her eyes seemingly sad behind her glasses. She pushed the book towards him. "Yes. Plenty of times.... but not on the night my fiance died. You made me forget that I lost everything." her eyes then trailed back to the paper and she wrote a few words at the bottom of her initial message. "Have you..."

Lepus smiled at her honesty, and he nodded. "Yes. I wanted to die plenty of times, over the most idiotic of things... like getting heart broken, or getting in dumb fights that, sadly enough, I had caused." His head lowered and he licked his lips, his mouth going dry, and his eyes watering. "You have to tell me. How do you live every day without a natural ability everyone else has... It sounds worse than anything I could have ever gone through, and admittedly, would have saved me from some of the situations."

Anne looked at Lepus with a soft expression, she could see the emotion in his face, it was obvious he felt like nothing compared to her, and her disability. She wrote slowly this time, her words more thought out, and for once, she even erased some of her words. "Lepus. I know you feel pity on me, but it isn't like that. Being mute isn't the same as being hurt. It may make you feel like you are missing out, but you have done so much more than me, and have lost so much more. I made my life, without a tongue, to get my diploma, never get harassed, and I have never had much wrong in life but a few debts. But you have done so much, and been hurt so many times. My tongue may be a disability, but your heart has more of a burden than any tongue could hold."

Lepus looked down. His eyes watering at this point, and his teeth gritted. "You... you are probably the only person I have ever met that has never had some sob story. You are so strong, yet here you are, being modest and telling me I am strong. Why can't I believe that out of myself... I just want to feel like what I have done made more difference to the world around me, but I just can't. I feel useless, and pitiful. I sound like an idiot I know... but..." he stopped, tears streaming down his cheeks as he looked up at Annette, her mouth curled into an amused smile. She then wrote on her paper yet again.

As she pushed the page over, Lepus wiped his eyes on his sleeve, reading the writing left for him. "You aren't strong. You are more than that. You are passionate. You put so many others before yourself. A strong person can push through, but only someone with a real heart would push everyone else to be strong when they themselves are not. I am strong, but that doesn't mean I can do half of the things you can. Sometimes it takes a broken toy to please a child. Just as it takes a broken man to inspire a community. You know more than they, and can lead them down a path to happiness. Happiness that you yourself couldn't acquire the same way. You get your happiness just like that, by making others happy."

Lepus stared at the paper. His face going cold as he fell forward, hugging Annette tightly. Her hands running over his back as he sobbed into her shoulder, the rest of their trip, both of them were left smiling, their minds clear of so much more. They were so much closer now, and it was amazing to them both how far they had come in such little time. They were like family.


	8. The End For Now

**4:47 Tuesday, May 17th 2016**

Lepus awoke in the apartment building, his face shocked when he saw the ceiling fan over his head. He was used to trees, or starts, sometimes dim sunlight. But he was up early, in actual shelter. He had made it to the city with Anne, thought she had to sleep nearby, he felt her breath as if it were so close. He stood up, his boxers hanging from his hips as he moved to the fridge. He tugged the door open, grabbing out a gallon of milk from the door and drinking from the jug, his mouth indulging on the liquid, as he did most mornings. Only this felt sweeter, as it wasn't water, or alcohol. It was milk. Actual store bought milk, that he paid for from a market. It felt morally good to drink something so casually that he rarely ever had. Like a common pleasure that was so overlooked by so many casual people.

He felt his enjoyment go a bit too far, as some began to run down the side of his lip and down onto his bare chest. He pulled the jug down, screwing the cap back on before placing it back into the steel fridge and shutting the door again. He moved to the bathroom, turning on the light for the dimly lit room, his eyes were somewhat red, and he had obvious bags from lack of sleep those long months. But he still smiled a sharp grin and took to washing his face. His hands trailing to the cabinet to take the still unopened disposable toothbrush and fresh toothpaste from the shelf inside. He let his face hit the water, then he covered his toothbrush in mint and proceeded to scrub his stained teeth clean. It felt refreshing, and he could see some white gaining on them, but not by much. They were still tinted a bit yellow from the constant eating, though he did get a brush in whenever he could in his other city visits, but that was as often as twice a month.

As he finished, he spit out his now frothing paste into the sink, and washed it down with tap water. His head flying back for a loud yawn, as the effects of waking up were just now hitting him. He moved to the shower, his hands tracking to his hips as he slipped out of the boxers, quickly getting inside the glass window, his fingers wrapping the handle of the water valve, turning it to the hottest setting possible.

**18:13 Thursday, May 19 2016**

Lepus waved off Anne, her taxi was quick, and he understood well enough. She was off to a new place in the city. She had been accepted in a study on disablement, and they hoped to find out from their studies how it was like to be born or injured to the point of loss of ability. She was one of the few mute in their search, and she was practically begged for the position. Lepus was completely understanding, as she was given a friendly and free environment to be studied, and she was with others who have gone through similar troubles in their life. She could find more people like her, and help out in the name of science in the process. It was a win-win, and they promised she could have visitors, so she gave the address to Lepus and went on her way.

So quickly to go, leaving him alone all over again. He smiled at her departure. He had grown with her. Now was a new chapter in his life, a new place to exist. His social aspects had become more open, often joining chats online to meet other friendly people. He had even joined some space roleplay group, something to keep him interested while he passed the time. His career as, well, whatever he was before, was no longer an option. He wasn't able to beg anymore, and his money was not infinite. But he had learned that through street performing, you could get paid fairly well. He had picked up a guitar from a second hand shop, something he hadn't done since his days in University, and his ability was a bit rusty, but he grew accustomed to it yet again and found a following as a street musician, usually dragging in a good $200 a day for his act, some recurring visitors that threw in a good few dollars. He was so happy he could find cash at his state, and he made sure to put in excessive emotion to spice his songs. Some he retold his tales from travel, making some songs for fun to appease the humor in the audience, which he found extremely fun.

This was a good humble life. Something he had only craved after he lost his initial one. He was happy, and carefree. For once, he was home.

**Author's Note:**

> This story was written in 2016, over the course of eight weeks, and it is possibly one of the longest pieces I have written. But, I assume it is the most cringeworthy of them all, so enjoy regardless.


End file.
